Main bearing cap wedge



Jan. 20, 1942. w. E. BRILL MAIN BEARING CAP WEDGE Filed March 21, 1940 AI l Patented Jan. 20, 1942 MAIN BEARING CAP'WEDGE I William E. Brill,Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich.,a

corporation of Delaware Application March 21, 1940, Serial No. 325,164

2 Claims.

My invention relates to bearings for supporting the journals ofcrankshafts of internal combustion engines, steam engines, compressorsand similar machines wherein a rotating crankshaft is present; andparticularly to means for forcing lower and upper semi-cylindricalbearing members provided for each journal into engagement with seats oflike form provided for them in lower bearing supporting members, and inbearing caps disposed above the journal; and which means acts also tohold the bearing members in place relative to the crank shaft journals.The object of my invention is to provide improved means engaging thebearing caps for forcing them downward and holding the bearing membersin place within the seats as aforesaid, the same being simple inconstruction and conveniently accessible for independent adjustment ofeach bearing and the construction thereof being such that pressure uponthe caps of the several bearings will be more uniform per unit areas ofthe caps than has heretofore commonly been the case.

The drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specificationillustrates the preferred form of my invention, and therein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view showing my invention and adjacent partsof a crankshaft and of an engine frame.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing a section upon a transverse planeperpendicular to the axis of rotation of the crankshaft, as indicated bythe line 22, Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, the journals of the crankshaft 4 (of which oneonly designated by the numeral 5 is shown) are rotatable in lowersemi-cylindrical bearings 6 which in turn are supported in seats 1 oflike form in lower bearing supporting members 8, which in turn aresupported by bolts (not shown) from and below the lower end of a framemember 9 which supports the cylinders of the engine and which, togetherwith a lower part III, forms a combined frame and crankcase structuretherefor. These parts, however, are of common and well-known form andare shown conventionally for the most part.

Arranged above each journal 5 is a cap II which acts to force an uppersemi-cylindrical bearing member l2 against the lower bearing member 6,and to secure intimate contact between said bearing members andsemi-cylindrical seats provided in the cap and in the supporting member,as indicated by the numerals 1, I3 and which cap is held in place andforced toward acting in accordance with my invention as will nextappear. That is, the cap H is provided with oppositely located inclinedseats M, l5 upon its upper side; and the numerals I6, I! designate twooppositely movable wedges the lower surfaces of which are inclined andengage the seats I4, I 5 and the upper ends of which are horizontal andmove along the under surface of a horizontal abutment plate I8, the twoends of which are supported by the frame member 9, as shown in Figure 2.Guides I9, 20 extend upward from the cap II and into slots 2|, 22 in theunder ends of the wedges IE, I! to prevent displacement of the wedges,and constrain them to move toward and from one another in a straightline; and sidewise movement of the cap is restrained by engagementbetween the lower end thereof and abutments upon the frame structure asindicated by the numerals 23, 24.

While only one journal bearing 5 and cap II are illustrated anddescribed a like bearing cap and features associated therewith, ashereinbefore described, is commonly present at each of the severaljournals of the crankshaft.

The wedge members I6, I! are moved apart simultaneously to force the capll downward by a screw having right and left threaded portions 25, 26engaging similarly threaded passages in the wedges, and a centralportion 2'! adapted to receive a wrench for turning the screw. Reverserotation loosens the cap H and permits the installation of new bearingmembers as Will be understood; and the provision of two wedges, and twoinclined seats I4, l5, secures an approximately uniform downwardpressure throughout the area of the cap and upon the upper bearingmember l2.

Having thus described and explained my invention, I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination, a fixed lower bearing supporting member having asemi-circular seat; a lower bearing member of like form supported Withinsaid seat; an upper semi-cylindrical bearing member contacting with saidlower bearing member; a fixed cap arranged above said upper bearingmember and the ends of which abut against said lower bearing supportingmember, and which cap has a semi-circular seat within which said upperbearing member lies; two trans- I versely movable wedges acting uponsaid cap to force it downward; a screw located between and having rightand left threaded portions which act as compression members against saidWedges the be n members y means constructed and to move themsimultaneously apart from one andisposed abutments 'for restrainingsidewise movement of said cap; two transversely movable wedges actingupon said cap at spaced apart points one upon each side of the centerthereof; a screw located between and having right and left threadedportions which act as compression members against said wedges to movethem simultaneously apart from one another; a fixed abutment arrangedabove and against which said 10 Wedges act; and cooperating guides uponsaid cap and said wedges.

WILLIAM E. BRILL.

